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SOUND BITES: 3 concerts to attend this weekend

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FACEBOOK // BROOKS DIXON MUSIC

Greenville singer/songwriter Brooks Dixon, who closed out last year’s Downtown Alive concert series, is about to hit the ripe old age of 24, and he’s decided to celebrate with a show at Moe Joe Coffee on Main Street on Friday. Dixon will bring along his band, Noble Sound, for the show, and he’s looking forward to mixing his own material with a few choice covers for the occasion. It’s also a chance for Dixon to showcase the infectiously melodic acoustic/electric heartland rock songs on his new EP, “Weather the Storm,” which was released last month. Moe Joe Coffee is a pretty special place for him; he played some of his first gigs at both the Clemson and Greenville locations. “It’s kind of like a home base for us,” he says. “I got started playing there by filling in on a few things at the last minute and I was able to build up a pretty good crowd. And people love coming downtown, even if they’re not huge music fans. It’s nice to have a show right on Main Street where my friends or fans can get some dinner and then come and see us play. And at the same time, the big music fans in Greenville are familiar with it, too.”

PROVIDED

Rockabilly Night, featuring Little Lesley & The Bloodshots

Connolly’s Irish Pub, 24 E. Court St.
Friday, March 18, 10 p.m.

The Upstate trio known as Little Lesley & The Bloodshots will gather up their standup bass, guitar and drums this Friday and hit Connolly’s Irish Pub for an event that’s just as straightforward as it sounds: Rockabilly Night. Does that mean that patrons have to come dressed up as their favorite greaser or dragster girl to get in the door? Nope. “I’m just calling it that because we’re a rockabilly band,” says singer/bassist Lesley Swift with a laugh. “I like to make an event out of it, because I don’t think that it’s something you normally get in Greenville.” The band will play three sets from 10 p.m.-1 a.m., and they’ll be bringing along new drummer Shane Byler, as well. “We’ve played at Connolly’s once before, and I think it’s one of my favorite places to play in Greenville,” Swift says, before adding that if you come to the show, you can expect to be on your feet all night. “We play a lot of dance music,” she says. “So whether or not you know rockabilly or like rockabilly, it doesn’t really matter because it’s just upbeat music that makes you want to dance. That’s our vibe. And they really picked up on that the last time we played there. It was a really cool show.”

Since 2012, singer/guitarist Matt Fassas and bassist Sam Kruer have been playing as Tonight’s Noise, a band that could shift from nimble, jazz-inflected bluegrass to funky jam-band rock depending on who was onstage with the core duo. But this Saturday at The Soundbox Tavern in Simpsonville, Fassas and Kruer will be changing things up a bit, playing as the Matt Fassas Group and featuring Kruer on keyboards. “This is actually going to be my first headlining show at the Soundbox,” Fassas says. “I’ve been going around and playing with a bunch of different musicians here lately because we’ve been trying out some new guys [for Tonight’s Noise]. So in the spirit of trying new things, Sam’s actually going to be playing keyboards, and we’ll be featuring David Katilius on bass and Kevin McMavis on drums.” So if it’s Fassas and Kruer, why not just call it Tonight’s Noise? “We don’t necessarily want to put that name on what we’re doing … because we’re not sure what we’re doing yet,” Fassas says with a laugh. “We’re just calling it Matt Fassas Group for the sake of saving face until we get something polished enough to take it on the road. On the other hand, it’s fun to do things like this because you’re a lot more likely to have those off-the-cuff moments that are really unique.”